Dog Bites
I've been bitten by a dog; what should I do next?
Who is responsible for my injuries?
Who is going to pay for my medical bills?
What if I was petting the dog when it bit me?
I was bitten by a dog, but I'm not really hurt. What should I do?
My neighbor's dog bit me last week. Today he asked me to sign something from his insurance company. What should I do?
I've been bitten by a dog; what should I do next?
Answer: The first and most important thing to do is to get medical treatment. Dog bites can be very serious, both because of the immediate trauma and because of the danger of infection. It is also important to have the injury documented by a medical professional.
Next, you should report the bite to your local animal control agency (if you have one, many smaller communities do not) or to the police. This is important for two reasons: first, because it is extremely important for you to determine whether or not the dog has been vaccinated against rabies. Rabies is one of the deadliest diseases in the world, and can easily be transmitted to humans by a dog bite. The second reason to report the incident is that most dogs who bite will bite again. It is important for the authorities to take steps to protect the public against potentially dangerous dogs.
After you have gotten treatment and reported the incident, you should contact an experienced attorney. There is a great deal of important information that needs to be gathered in a dog bite claim, and the sooner that information can be gathered, the better. Our lawyers have handled many dog attack cases, and we are very experienced in helping you work through the process.
Who is responsible for my injuries?
Answer: In Minnesota, anyone who "owns" or "harbors" a dog is responsible for injuries that the dog causes. If a person allows a dog to visit their property, and the dog bites someone, that person can be held responsible along with the dog's owner.
Keep in mind that most homeowner's insurance policies cover dog bites, so there is typically a fund of money from which a person injured by a dog can recover. Our attorneys will investigate any dog attack incident and uncover every possible avenue of recovery for our clients.
Who is going to pay for my medical bills?
Answer: There are a number of possible sources for the payment of your bills. Many homeowner's policies have medical payment provisions, which will pay for medical bills after a dog attack. Your health insurance or public assistance programs can also pay for your medical treatment. We work hard to help our clients get their medical bills paid from the most cost-effective source.
What if I was petting the dog when it bit me?
Answer: The Minnesota dog bite statute is what is called a "strict liability" law. As long as the injured person was acting peaceably in a place they had a right to be, and did not provoke the dog, they were not at fault for the bite. The dog's owner, or the person who was harboring the dog, are completely responsible for any injuries the animal causes.
I was bitten by a dog, but I'm not really hurt. What should I do?
Answer: Even if you weren't really hurt, you still should be checked out by a doctor. You should also still report the bite. We will be more than happy to talk with you about your options beyond that, even if you don't think you were injured. Give us a call.
My neighbor's dog bit me last week. Today he asked me to sign something from his insurance company. What should I do?
Answer:You should never sign something relating to a potential claim without first talking to an experienced attorney. Insurance companies may try to have you sign a "release," which can eliminate the right of a dog bite victim to make a claim in the future. Even if the document isn't a release, it could be something that allows the insurance company to search through your medical doctors, talk to your doctors or your employer, or even look at your tax returns. If you have been given something to sign, feel free to give us a call - we'll be happy to help.